Syria lodged a formal complaint with the United Nations on Wednesday against Colombia’s decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights. The diplomatic friction follows far-right President Abelardo de la Espriella’s inauguration, making Colombia only the second country after the United States to endorse the contested annexation.
Syria reacted swiftly to the diplomatic shift, instructing its representatives in New York to register a formal protest. Damascus sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the current president of the UN Security Council, Danish Ambassador Christina Markus Lassen, expressing its protest, condemnation and categorical rejection
of the policy reversal by Bogota, according to Syria’s official news agency, SANA.
The move drew broader regional backlash across the Middle East. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, and Turkey joined Syria in condemning the decision, which follows a string of foreign policy changes enacted by Colombia’s new administration.
A Sudden Foreign Policy Pivot in Bogotá
Colombia’s Foreign Ministry announced the policy change on Monday, just three days after far-right President Abelardo de la Espriella took power. Known by the nickname El Tigre,
the newly elected Colombian leader campaigned on strengthening ties with the United States and Israel as part of a broader strategy to combat domestic armed groups.
The recognition marks a sharp reversal from the stance of de la Espriella’s left-wing predecessor, Gustavo Petro. Petro had been a vocal critic of Israel, cutting diplomatic ties in 2024 over the military campaign in Gaza and halting arms imports. By contrast, de la Espriella has pledged to move Colombia’s embassy to Jerusalem. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar traveled to South America to attend the inauguration ceremony, having met with Colombian officials in Barranquilla just days prior to finalize the diplomatic alignment.
“The Government of Colombia recognises Israeli sovereignty over this territory, as well as that State’s right to protect itself against external threats. Colombia recognises that maintaining Israel’s control and sovereignty over the Golan Heights is an essential component of its national defence.”
Colombia’s Foreign Ministry, via Al Jazeera
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video message thanking the South American nation for the diplomatic support. Gesturing at a map of the strategic plateau, Netanyahu declared that the Israeli flag flies here, and it will continue to fly here, because this is our land,
adding that the nation is with Colombia.
Legal Standing and International Precedents
Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and effectively annexed the territory in 1981 by extending Israeli law, jurisdiction, and administration to the region. For decades, the international community maintained a unified stance withholding recognition until the United States broke the consensus in March 2019 under President Donald Trump.
While analysts note that Bogotá’s declaration does not alter the legal status of the territory under international law, experts warn it carries significant symbolic weight. Samy Akil, a senior adviser at The Syria Report, told Arab News that the announcement establishes a dangerous long-term precedent. This may be particularly true of small states such as Palau, Micronesia or Nauru, which tend to have shifting policies on the Middle East,
Akil said, pointing to the risk of diplomatic pressure from Washington and Jerusalem encouraging other nations to follow suit.
International Crisis Group senior analyst Nanar Hawach echoed those concerns, telling Arab News that the decision lowers the political cost for any subsequent government considering a similar move. Meanwhile, Beirut-based policy expert Hussein Chokr warned that endorsing territorial acquisition through military force threatens the foundational architecture of global relations, pushing the international system closer to a law of the jungle
framework.
Parallel Security Talks and Shifting Realities in Southern Syria
The diplomatic dispute unfolds against a backdrop of expanding Israeli military operations inside Syria following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024. According to United Nations reports, Israeli forces have maintained and reinforced military positions within the UN-monitored buffer zone adjacent to the Golan Heights, alongside repeated incursions into southern Syrian villages.
The meeting between Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and President Donald Trump at the White House included discussions on counter-terrorism cooperation, Syrian reconstruction, sanctions relief, and regional stability. These occurred amid ongoing indirect US-mediated security talks between Syria and Israel.
In an interview with Fox News, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa was asked about Syria joining the Abraham Accords, to which he answered: Not while Israel “occupies” the Golan heights.
As Syria navigates its post-Assad political transition, Damascus insists it will exhaust all legal and diplomatic measures to challenge foreign recognition of the occupied plateau.
